Steve Begin called it a career via Twitter on Thursday.
Begin, 35, appeared in over 500 regular season contests with the Flames, Canadiens, Stars, Bruins and Predators over his 16-year career. Drafted in the second round (40th overall) by Calgary at the 1996 NHL Entry Draft, Begin’s career went full circle last season when he surprisingly made the Flames out of training camp after joining the team on a PTO.
Begin went on to play 36 games for the Flames, scoring four goals and eight points.
In his retirement announcement, Begin alluded to his health as a major reason for stepping away from the game. He missed the entire 2011-12 campaign recovering from hip surgery, and his comeback in ’13 was a big reason why the Flames made him their Masterton nominee.